First woman in space - Jun 16, 1963 - HISTORY.com First woman in space Publisher A+E Networks On June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok 6, Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space. After 48 orbits and 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than all U.S. astronauts combined to that date. Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was born to a peasant family in Maslennikovo, Russia, in 1937. She began work at a textile factory when she was 18, and at age 22 she made her first parachute jump under the auspices of a local aviation club. Her enthusiasm for skydiving brought her to the attention of the Soviet space program, which sought to put a woman in space in the early 1960s as a means of achieving another “space first” before the United States.

As an accomplished parachutist, Tereshkova was well equipped to handle one of the most challenging procedures of a Vostok space flight: the mandatory ejection from the capsule at about 20,000 feet during reentry. In February 1962, she was selected along with three other woman parachutists and a female pilot to begin intensive training to become a cosmonaut. In 1963, Tereshkova was chosen to take part in the second dual flight in the Vostok program, involving spacecrafts Vostok 5 and Vostok 6. On June 14, 1963, Vostok 5 was launched into space with cosmonaut Valeri Bykovsky aboard. With Bykovsky still orbiting the earth, Tereshkova was launched into space on June 16 aboard Vostok 6. The two spacecrafts had different orbits but at one point came within three miles of each other, allowing the two cosmonauts to exchange brief communications. Tereshkova’s spacecraft was guided by an automatic control system, and she never took manual control.

On June 19, after just under three days in space, Vostok 6 reentered the atmosphere, and Tereshkova successfully parachuted to earth after ejecting at 20,000 feet. Bykovsky and Vostok 5 landed safely a few hours later. After her historic space flight, Valentina Tereshkova received the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union awards. In November 1963, she married fellow cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev, reportedly under pressure from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who saw a propaganda advantage in the pairing of the two single cosmonauts. The couple made several goodwill trips abroad, had a daughter, and later separated. In 1966, Tereshkova became a member of the Supreme Soviet, the USSR’s national parliament, and she served as the Soviet representative to numerous international women’s organizations and events. She never entered space again, and hers was the last space flight by a female cosmonaut until the 1980s.

The United States screened a group of female pilots in 1959 and 1960 for possible astronaut training but later decided to restrict astronaut qualification to men. The first American woman in space was astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, who served as mission specialist on a flight of the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. Related Videos What Happened in 1963 inc. Pop Culture, Prices Significant Events, Key Technology and Inventions November 22nd which thrust Lyndon Johnson into the role of president and the murder two days later of Lee Harvey Oswald by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. This was a difficult time to become president with the mounting troubles in Vietnam where the Viet Cong Guerrillas had now killed 80 American Advisers and the continued campaign for civil rights by the black community caused violent reactions from whites including Mississippi, Virginia and Alabama where the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was arrested. Films included "The Birds" and "The Great Escape" and popular TV programmes "The Virginian" and "Lassie". ladies fashion clothes and hairstyles included fur boots and towering hair do's for evening wear.

In music the beginning of Beatlemania after they release "I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" and "Meet the Beatles". President John F Kennedy assassinated in the United States More Information and Timeline For Kennedy Assassination 1. John F. Kennedy assassinated on Friday, November 22nd , 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas 1a. 1:00 PM CST the 35th President of The United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy is declared dead at Parkland Hospital's Trauma Room 2. Suspects description is given to Dallas Police 3. 13:35 CST Dallas police officer, J. D. Tippit called Lee Harvey Oswald ( Matches Suspects description ) over to the patrol car. 4. Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed Dallas police officer, J. D. Tippit 5. 13:37 CST Oswald enters a nearby movie theater without buying a ticket 6. 13:40 CST Oswald is arrested by police officer, M.N. McDonald 7. Oswald is charged later that evening with the murder of President John F. Kennedy and Officer J. D. Tippit 8.

Jack Ruby murders John F. Kennedy's suspected assassin Lee Harvey Oswald During the transportation of Oswald from Dallas Police Headquarters to the Dallas County Jail on November 24th live on television. 9.President Lyndon Baines Johnson sworn in as President on Air Force One at Love Field Airport in Dallas just over two hours after President Kennedy assassinated The ten-month investigation by the commission set up by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, The Warren Commission, 1963 - 1964 , concluded that the President was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone and that Jack Ruby acted alone when he killed Oswald before he could stand trial Conspiracy theories are still expounded and discussed in books and the media nearly 50 years after the Kennedy Assassination and range from the The Soviet KGB to the United States CIA, World -- Beatlemania The Early Years Beatles Release I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There and Meet the Beatles More Information and Timeline For The Early Years of Beatlemania 1a. October 5th 1962 Beatles release first single in UK "Love Me Do" reached Number 17 in UK charts 1b.

April 27th 1964 Beatles release single in U.S.A. "Love Me Do" reached Number 1 in US charts 2a. January 11th 1963 Beatles release second single in UK "Please Please Me" reached Number 1 in UK New Musical Express Chart 2b. February 25th 1963 Beatles release second single in U.S.A. "Please Please Me" with "Ask Me Why" on the B-side, no impact on US Charts 2c. January 3rd 1964 Beatles re-released single in U.S.A. "Please Please Me" with "From Me to You" on the B-side, reached number 3 in the US Hot 100 3a. November 29th 1963 Beatles release single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" with "This Boy" on the B-side which charts at Number 1 in UK 3b.

November 29th 1963 Beatles release single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" with "I Saw Her Standing There" on the B-side which charts at Number 1 in the US Hot 100 4. Following TV shows, press interviews, and a weekly radio show in the UK the term Beatlemania is born 5. Beatlemania took hold in the United States after The Beatles performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday February 9th, 16th and 23rd 1964 The Beatles could do no wrong from 1963 to when they split in late 1969 with fans accepting and embracing each change in music style, I was lucky enough to be a teenager in those years and looking back now 50 years later it was a great time in popular culture to be a teenager. Beatles recorded their very first full-length album "Please Please Me" The iconic rock band the Beatles recorded their very first full-length album during February of 1963 and early the entire album was recorded in one day.

The album was titled Please Please Me after their single and featured a mix of original songs by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, as well as popular covers. Some of the most popular tracks from the album included "I Saw Her Standing There," "Love Me Do,"and "Twist and Shout." It was released in March of that year and topped the charts in the United Kingdom for thirty weeks until it was replaced by another Beatles album, "With The Beatles." USSR - The First Woman in Space The Soviet Union launches the Vostok 6 spacecraft, carrying Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space. More Information for Vostok 6 The Soviet Union launches the Vostok 6 spacecraft during June of 1963. The mission carried cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova as she became the first woman in space. During the mission medical experiments were conducted to test the effects of space travel on a female body and live video of Tereshkova was broadcast on television in the Soviet Union. The flight also involved the Vostok 5 spacecraft which was also in space at the time. The two crafts flew together and communicated with each other by using two-way radio throughout the mission.

The Vostok 6 was in space for 3 days, after which it came to an end and Valentina Tereshkova safely returned to Earth. UK -- The Profumo Scandal The Profumo Crisis in the UK causing resignations from the cabinet caused by war minister John Profumo having an affair with Christina Wheeler who was also involved with a Soviet Navy officer More Information and Timeline For The Profumo Affair 1. 1961 John Profumo meets Christine Keeler, a London call girl at a house party at Cliveden, the Buckinghamshire mansion owned by Lord Astor. 2. July 1961 John Profumo begins affair with Christine Keeler 3. 1961 Christine Keeler is also sleeping with drug dealer Johnny Edgecombe 4. 1961 Christine Keeler is also having an affair with Yevgeni Ivanov, a naval attache at the embassy of the Soviet Union 5. August 1961 Sir Roger Hollis head of MI5 asks Cabinet Secretary, Sir Norman Brook to talk to John Profumo to end relationship with Christine Keeler 6. 1962 Affair becomes public when press releases story 7.

March 1963 John Profumo stated to the House of Commons that there was "no impropriety whatever" in his relationship with Keeler 8. On June 5th 1963, John Profumo resigns following his admission that he had lied to the House re: relationship with Christine Keeler Reading through this now seems pretty tame compared with many other scandals over the years but because of Soviet Connection, his role as Secretary of State for War and Christine Keeler's other affairs with gangland figures and drug dealers it was a major news story. United States - ZIP Codes Introduced ZIP Codes are implemented in the U.S. More Information for ZIP Codes 1. The United States Postal Service launches the ZIP Code System during July of 1963. 2. The name ZIP stood for "Zoning Improvement Plan" and was a system developed to make mail delivery more efficient within the United States. 3. Prior to the ZIP code's roll-out the Postal Service expanded distribution centers and began to assign a five digit code for every address in the United States. 4.

Each digit in a ZIP code represents different geographical markers with the first digit representing a general region in the U.S., the second and third for a sectional center, and the last two digits for a local post office or postal zone. United States -- Studebaker Ends Production Studebaker the US Car Maker goes out of business and Ends production More Information and Timeline For Studebaker 1. 1852 Studebaker Founded in South Bend, Indiana to produce wagons for farmers, miners, and the military 2. 1857 Studebaker begins making horse drawn wagons for the US Army 3. 1902 Studebaker begins making Electric vehicles 4. 1904 Studebaker began making gasoline-engined five-passenger touring cars in partnership with Garford 5. 1920's Annual production capacity was 180,000 cars employing 23,000 staff 6. 1920's multiple plants in Detroit, South Bend and Walkerville Canada 7. Great Depression Studebaker like many other car makers struggled following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 till the later 30's 8.

World War II Studebaker produced the Studebaker US6 truck and the M29 Weasel cargo and personnel carrier 9. World War II Studebaker produced the Studebaker US6 truck and the M29 Weasel cargo and personnel carrier 10. Early 1950s Industry price war between Ford and General Motors leaves smaller manufacturers like Studebaker struggling to compete 11. 1954 Packard takes over Studebaker 12. 1963 December 20th South Bend plant produced its last Studebaker car in the United States 13. 1966 the last Studebaker plant in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada ends production Following the dominance of Ford and GM with aggressive pricing, streamlined production and lower labor costs few independent car makers survived and Studebaker is one of many who were swallowed up or ended car production. U.S. -- Final Project Mercury Mission NASA's final Project Mercury mission carrying astronaut Gordon Cooper launches from Cape Canaveral. More Information for Mercury-Atlas 9 The final Project Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9, is launched by NASA during May of 1963.

The Faith 7 spacecraft carried astronaut Gordon Cooper into space for about 34 hours during which he orbited the Earth 22 times. The purpose of the mission was to test the limits of the Mercury space capsule. Cooper's flight was about three times longer than any other human space flight that had been completed at that point in history. It also marked the final time that NASA launched a solo orbital mission. Near the end of the flight Cooper experienced several technical problems but was able to overcome them and successfully returned to Earth. United State - Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty The US Senate approves the PTBT. More Information for the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty The United States Senate approved ratification of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) during September of 1963. The Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banned all nuclear weapon testing that was not conducted underground, prohibiting atmospheric, outer space, and under water tests. It was originally signed by the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union. The ban helped to slow down the nuclear arms race and eventually 123 more countries ratified the treaty, making it nearly universal. Yugoslavia declares President Tito President for Life. More Information for President Tito.

The nation of Yugoslavia became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in April of 1963 and the country's leader, Josip Broz Tito, was named as the "President for Life." The changes to the European nation's name and Tito's authority were a part of several socialist reforms added into the country's constitution during that year. With his increased authority, Tito relaxed many religious and political restrictions and helped to improve the economy by encouraging foreign tourism and the expansion of private enterprise. Tito was generally liked by the people and was commended for going against Soviet-era communism and developing a successful form of socialism. Tito died in 1980 and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia broke up in 1992 . James Meredith becomes the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi Popular Culture 1963 This was the year an Insurance firm State Mutual Life Insurance invented the Smiley Face found on anything and everything around the world including T Shirts , it's popularity was at it's peak in the 1960's The Beatles release their first album Please Please Me.

The first episode of the BBC television series Doctor Who is broadcast Bob Dylan walks off the Ed Sullivan show Beatles Release I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There and Meet the Beatles which is the beginning of Beatlemania. Beatle's Release "She Loves You" in UK which goes to Number 1 for 4 weeks Australia -- Prime Minister -- Sir Robert Menzies -- Brazil -- President -- Joao Goulart -- Canada -- Prime Minister -- John Diefenbaker -- till April 22, Canada -- Prime Minister -- Lester B.

Pearson -- from April 22, China -- Chairman of the People's Republic of China -- Liu Shaoqi -- France -- President -- Charles de Gaulle -- < Germany -- Chancellor -- Konrad Adenauer -- Till 16 October Germany -- Chancellor -- Ludwig Erhard -- From 16 October India -- Prime Minister -- Jawahar Lal Nehru -- Italy -- Prime Minister -- Amintore Fanfani -- Till 21 June Italy -- Prime Minister -- Giovanni Leone -- From 21 June Italy -- Prime Minister -- Giovanni Leone -- Till 4 December Italy -- Prime Minister -- Aldo Moro -- From 4 December Japan -- Prime Minister -- Hayato Ikeda -- Mexico -- President -- Adolfo Lopez Mateos -- Russia / Soviet Union -- First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union -- Nikita Khrushchev -- South Africa -- Prime Minister -- Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd -- United States -- President -- John F. Kennedy -- Till November 22, United States -- President -- Lyndon B.

Johnson -- From November 22, United Kingdom -- Prime Minister -- Harold Macmillan -- Till 19 October United Kingdom -- Prime Minister -- Sir Alec Douglas-Home -- From 19 October Political Elections Canadian Federal Election -- 1963 John Diefenbaker ( Progressive Conservatives ) defeats Lester B. Pearson ( Liberal ) June 1963 - Historical Events - On This Day On This Day Historical Events in June 1963 Full Calendar Jun 1 "El Watusi" by Ray Barreto hits #17 Event of Interest Jun 1 Jomo Kenyatta becomes 1st Prime Minister of Kenya Founding Father of Kenya Jun 2 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Babe Didrikson-Zaharias Golf Open Jun 3 A Northwest Airlines DC-7 crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia, killing 101.

Jun 4 1st transmission of "Pop Go the Beatles" on BBC radio Jun 4 British Minister of War John Profumo resigns due to Christine Keeler scandal Jun 5 Princess Marijke changes her name to Christina Event of Interest Jun 5 State of siege proclaimed in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini arrested Supreme Leader of Iran Jun 6 Gasunie, Dutch gas and transportation company established Jun 7 1st Rolling Stones TV appearance (Thank Your Lucky Stars) & release 1st single, "Come on" Jun 8 "Mr President" closes at St James Theater NYC after 265 performances Jun 8 95th Belmont: Braulio Baeza aboard Chateaugay wins in 2:30.2 Jun 8 American Heart Association is 1st agency to campaign against cigarettes Jun 9 1st Sunday night game in baseball SF Giants lose to Houston Colts 3-0 Jun 9 Barbara Romack wins LPGA Rock City Ladies Golf Open TV Show Appearance Jun 9 Barbra Streisand appears on "Ed Sullivan Show" Singer-songwriter & Actress Jun 9 Colt .45s beat Giants 3-0 in major leagues' 1st Sunday night game

 Event of Interest Jun 10 US Equal Pay Act signed into law by President John F.

Kennedy 35th US President Jun 11 Gov Wallace tries to prevent blacks registering at University of Alabama Jun 11 Greek government of Karamanlis resigns Jun 11 US President JFK says segregation is morally wrong & that it is "time to act" Film Premier Jun 12 "Cleopatra" directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton premieres in NYC Actress Jun 13 Vostok 6 launched, pilot is 1st woman cosmonaut Jun 14 NY Met Duke Snider hits his 400th HR Jun 14 Valery Bykovsky in Vostok 5 orbits earth 81 times in 5 days Jun 15 "Sound of Music" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 1443 performances Jun 15 "Sukiyaki" sung by Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto, hits #1 Jun 15 Buddy Nobles runs world record marathon (2:14:28) Event of Interest Jun 15 Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion resigns First Israeli Prime Minister Jun 16 Levi Eshkol replaces David Ben-Gurion as Israeli Prime Minister Jun

 16 Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Cosmopolitan Women's Golf Open Event of Interest Jun 16 Valentina Tereshkova (USSR) is 1st woman in space, aboard Vostok 6 1st Woman in Space Jun 17 British House of Commons debates Profumo-Christine Keeler affair Jun 17 Supreme Court rules against Bible reading/prayer in public schools Jun 18 3,000 blacks boycott Boston public school Jun 19 2 Russian space missions return to Earth Jun 19 Charter members of Canadian Football Hall of Fame chosen Jun 19 Greek government of Pipinolis forms Jun 19 Valentina Tereshkova 1st woman in space returns to Earth Jun 20 1st Mayor's Trophy Game (New York), Mets beat Yankees 6-2 Jun 20 Beatles form "Beatles Ltd" to handle their income Jun 20 US & USSR agree to set up "Hot Line" Jun 21 Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) succeeds John XXIII Jun 21 13th Berlin International Film Festival: "The Devil" and "Bushido: The Cruel Code of the

 Samurai" win the Golden Bear (tie) Event of Interest Jun 22 "Little" Stevie Wonder (13) releases "Fingertips" Singer-Songwriter Jun 23 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Women's Western Golf Open Jun 23 NY Mets Jimmy Piersall hits his 100th HR, he circles bases backwards Jun 23 US President John F.

Kennedy tours Western Europe Jun 24 1st demonstration of home video recorder, at BBC Studios, London Jun 24 Levi Eshkol forms 11th Israeli government Jun 24 Zanzibar granted internal self-government by Britain Jun 25 Famous cricket draw at Lord's as England hang on against the Windies Jun 25 JFK speaks at Pauls Church in Frankfurt Jun 25 South Africa worker's union leader Curnick Ndlovu arrested Jun 25 Curnick Ndlovu, South African Trade Unionist and African National Congress Leader, is arrested Jun 26 Alfons Gorbach forms Austrian government Jun 26 Dutch 2nd Chamber condemns commercial TV Jun 26 US President John F. Kennedy gives his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" (intended to mean "I am a Berliner", but may actually mean "I am a dougnut") speech in West Berlin Jun 27 Bill J Kramer & Dakotas record Lennon & McCartney "I Call Your Name" Jun 27 US President John F.

Kennedy spent 1st full day in Ireland Jun 27 USAF Major Robert A Rushworth in X-15 reaches 86,900 m Jun 27 Phillies Johnny Callison hits for cycle, but Phillie centerfielder Tony Gonzalez's error ends his record 205 consecutive errorless games Jun 28 Belaunde Terry inaugurated as President of Peru Event of Interest BBC ON THIS DAY | 16 | 1963: Soviets launch first woman into space 1963: Soviets launch first woman into space A former textile worker from the Soviet Union has become the first woman in space. Lieutenant Valentina Tereshkova, 26, was the fifth Russian cosmonaut to go into the Earth's orbit when her spaceship Vostok VI was launched at 1230 Moscow time. Moscow Television broadcast the first pictures of the elated blonde - code-named Seagull - ninety minutes later. One of the main purposes of her mission is to attempt the first docking manoeuvre with another spaceship.

Colonel Valery Bykovsky was completing his 32nd orbit in the Vostok V - launched two days ago - when Lt Tereshkova hurtled into space from the secret Russian launch pad in Baikonur, central Asia. At one time the two spacecrafts - which were in radio contact with each other as well as the ground - were only three miles apart, but they are reported to be drifting further apart. Khrushchev's acclaim Russian Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev had a radio conversation with the female cosmonaut. He congratulated her on her achievement and spoke of his "fatherly pride" for her. By 2000 BST Ms Tereshkova had completed 23 circuits of the globe - one more than the longest-flying US spaceman, Gordon Cooper - at a distance of between 114 miles (183km) and 145 miles (232km) with an average 88.3 minutes for each orbit. Thousands of jubilant women gathered in Red Square, Moscow, to celebrate the occasion.

A special issue of Soviet newspaper Pravda said Ms Tereshkova had dreamed of going into space as soon as she heard about the first man in space, Colonel Yuri Gagarin, in April 1961. Ms Tereshkova - an amateur parachutist - joined the space programme last March. Col Gagarin said she was popular with the other cosmonauts and their wives and described her "kind eyes and good-natured smile". Russian scientists also hope to analyse the comparative effects of space travel on a man and a woman. June 16, 1963: Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space - BT June 16, 1963: Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space Former textiles worker Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space when her spacecraft Vostok VI blasted off for a three-day mission. Print this story Former textile factory worker Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, as well as the first civilian astronaut, when her spacecraft Vostok VI was launched on this day in 1963.

Ms Tereshkova began her historic journey blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in modern-day Kazakhstan. The launch took place just days after the take-off of Vostok V, piloted by Valery Bykovsky. The two craft would come within just over three miles of each other during their mission. A camera in her cockpit transmitted pictures of Ms Tereshkova back to Russia, and she took part in a radio conversation with Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev (pictured with Tereshkova, below). She would spend nearly three days in space, orbiting the Earth 49 times. Her journey was the result of an initiative from Sergey Korolyov, the Soviet Union’s chief rocket engineer, who believed that garnering information on the effects of space flight on the female body would be useful, as well as being a great public relations coup. Five female trainee cosmonauts were chosen from over four hundred applicants; all were trained parachutists. They would undergo a year of weightless flights, isolation tests, centrifugal tests, engineering and rocket flight theory, as well as parachute jumps and pilot training.

Ms Tereshkova was said to have been selected from the five to pilot Vostok VI as she was a perfect example of a proletarian Soviet citizen; her father, a tractor driver, had been a tank crew member that died in the war, while her mother had also been a textile worker. She returned to Earth, parachuting out of her capsule, several hundred miles from her take-off site. She would return to Moscow amid great fanfare to be feted by the Communist Party, but would not return to space. Remarkably it would take over 19 years before another female astronaut, Svetlana Savitskaya, would undertake space travel, on board the Soyuz T-7 craft. Do you remember Valentina Tereshkova’s historic space flight? Was it of particular importance to women? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below. Valentina Tereshkova – Did you know? Tereshkova had joined a parachutists’ club – popular in the USSR at the time – in 1959.

All applicants to the female cosmonaut programme had to be parachutists under 30 years of age, under 5 feet 7 inches tall, and under 154lb in weight. She became the fifth Russian cosmonaut and only the 12th person to undertake space travel. Though technically was a civilian, she was given a commission as a Junior Lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force as part of her training programme. During her mission she maintained a flight log and manually controlled her craft. She took photos of Earth’s horizon from space which were later used to identify aerosol layers in the atmosphere. While in flight, Tereshkova was asked how she was feeling by ground controllers and her answers were recorded as being ‘evasive’. It later transpired that she had felt nauseous through much of the journey and may even have vomited. On landing on a farm in a remote part of northern Kazakhstan, Tereshkova exchanged her space food packages for a meal from farmers – possibly to disguise the fact she had not eaten during her flight – which she wolfed down, against medical orders. On November 3, 1963 she would marry fellow cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolayev.

The couple’s daughter, Elena, was the first person to be born of parents that had both travelled in space. The couple divorced in 1982. Tereshkova became a feted political figure, serving as a member of the Supreme Soviet and the Central Committee of the Communist Party. In 2007, she was awarded the Order for Service to the Fatherland by president Vladimir Putin (above). Still considered a hero, she was elected to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian legislature, in 2011. Untold Stories of Human Space Exploration - Roehampton astronomy society.com Roehampton astronomy society.com Sergei Korolev - from Siberian concentration camp to head of human space flight. 1961 Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space 1963 Valentina Tereshkova - the first woman in space. 1964 Voshkod 1 - the first crew in space 1965 Alexei Leonov - The first space walk - but what went wrong? The images above capture some key features of a story that was brilliantly told at a recent exhibition Cosmonauts - Birth of the Space Age hosted by the Science Museum London.

Whilst Yuri Gagarin's accomplishment certainly received world wide attention, other achievements are rather less well known outside of the Russian Federation and certain details scarcely known there either. It is intriguing to reflect for example that Sergei Korolev was sent to a Siberian concentration camp by Stalin in a 1938 purge, before being placed in charge of, first, the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile development and then, its manned space flight programme. ​ Gagarin's orbit of the earth on Vostok 1 on the 12th April 1961 was first detected by Jodrell Bank in the UK, which meant that The Times was (from the Soviet Union's perspective) irritatingly quick of the mark in reporting the news. On the 16th June 1963 Valentina Tereshkova , the first woman in space, completed 23 orbits of the earth so as to beat the 22 orbits by US astronaut Gordon Cooper one month earlier. On the 12th October 1964 – Voshkod 1 (Voshkod being Russian for sunrise) enabled the first multi-crew space flight.

The extremely cramped conditions make sense when one considers that the capsule (originally designed for one) was quickly adapted to accommodate three cosmonauts and thereby beat the Americans in the race to achieve a multi-crew space flight. This adaptation involved dispensing with spacesuits and taking out the ejector seat that had existed in the original space craft - meaning that now the crew would have to land in the capsule itself (rather than ejecting from it) thus relying on enormous parachutes to bring them en masse safely to earth. On the 18th March 1965 - Alexei Leonov on Voshkod 2 achieved the first space walk. Carefully scrutiny of film of the space walk (36:20 into the film ) reveals that Leonov appears to spin whilst in space, what is less evident is why this happened. It has subsequently transpired that this occurred because Leonov had to act quickly to avoid a disaster. Realising that his space suit had dangerously expanded, making reentry into the capsule impossible, Leonov risked releasing oxygen from his suit to enable him to make it through the hatchway to the comparative safety Voshkod 2.

The planned moon landing by the Soviet Union became public knowledge in 1989, having remained secret for more than 20 years. Technical issues with achieving lunar orbit, limited economic resources and fading political will - once the Americans had already landed on the moon - meant that fully developed lunar craft and lunar explorers never saw the light of day and remained hidden away as a secret testimony to both human engineering accomplishment and face-saving political strategy. All geared up - but nowhere to go. The Soviet moon lander that unfortunately never achieved its purpose. Site powered by Weebly. Managed by iPage Our Spaceflight Heritage: Tereshkova's flight for equality - SpaceFlight Insider Spaceflight Insider Our Spaceflight Heritage: Tereshkova’s flight for equality Valentina Tershkova. Photo Credit: ITAR-TASS Gregory Cecil June 16th, 2015 Fifty-two years ago today, on June 16, 1963, Cosmonaut Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She launched from the Baikonur Launch Complex aboard her Vostok 6 booster in what was the former Soviet Union.

The flight of the first woman in space was considered a propaganda stunt, but actual science was performed during the flight, including the first communication between two crewed orbiting spacecraft (Vostok 5 flown by cosmonaut Valery Fyodorovich Bykovsky). She spent three days in orbit and completed 48 orbits. Shortly after Yuri Gagarin’s flight, Cosmonaut Chief Kananin brought up the idea that the Soviet Union should put a woman in space to Chief Designer Sergi Korolev. Korolev agreed, and in October of 1961 the search began for 5 women to join the cosmonaut ranks. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space during the Vostok 6 mission, which lifted off in 1962. Photo Credit: Commons / Ria Novosti According to Astronautix.com , “Piloting experience was not necessary, since the Vostok was completely automated and the occupant was considered a passenger.

However, [the] parachuting experience was essential, since the Vostok cosmonaut was ejected clear of the capsule after re-entry and landed on Earth under a personal parachute.” The qualifications required included the following: “likable girls” under 30 years of age, physically fit, ideologically pure, were experienced parachutists, and were within certain height and weight requirements. Tereshkova was a worker in a textile plant and an avid parachutist. She was selected as one of five women out of 58 potential candidates. Though the least qualified and educated of the five women who were chosen, which consisted of test pilots, engineers, and world-class parachutists, Tereshkova was actively involved as a Communist leader in her workplace which enhanced her resume. Originally, the flight was supposed to consist of two women, but after the Soviets learned of the Mercury 13 group, they decided to fly one woman before the US could.

Premier Khrushchev personally selected Tereshkova for the flight due to her being “a reliable communist, a factory worker from a humble background, and a ‘good’ girl.” On June 16, 1963, Vostok 6 with Tereshkova was launched into orbit. Her call sign was “Chayka” (Seagull). During her time in space, she completed experiments on comparative analysis of the effects of spaceflight for male and females, and medi-biological research. She also came within 5 km of Vostok 5 and they became the first spacecrafts to contact each other while in space and practicing joint flight measures. She spent three days in orbit, orbited the Earth 48 times, and landed on June 19 spending more time than all the American astronauts up to that time in space. Due to rampant sexism and opposition within the Soviet Air Force, Tereshkova never got to fly again and the Woman in Space Program was cancelled. Tereshkova went on to marry fellow cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolayev. They had the first child ever born from two people who had flown into space.

After her flight, she became very active in the Communist party. Now retired, she is currently living outside of Star City. On this day in spaceflight history, a woman showed the world that she too had the “right stuff”.

Question: In space flight history what occurred on 16th June 1963?
Answer: FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE